No. 1 Chesapeake nails down top seed Softball

Chesapeake outfielder Stacey Necessary had a single and double, knocked in two runs, scored two runs and stole a base. All in the first inning.

This was Severna Park's first clue that it was in for a long afternoon.

No. 1 Chesapeake assured itself of the top seed in next week's Class 4A, Region IV playoffs with a 13-3 victory over No. 4 and host Severna Park.

The Cougars (16-0), winners of 35 straight games and the last three 4A state championships, scored nine runs in the first inning off junior Jen Spampinato. They were quiet until the sixth, when they added four more runs after Severna Park had reduced the lead to 9-3.

"I was happy to see us come back and get four runs," said Chesapeake coach Dennis Thiele. "They scored nine and then they sat back. I told them, 'Hey, it's not a one-inning game, it's a seven-inning game.' I kind of chewed them out and they responded positively."

Thiele was expecting his team to face Severna Park freshman Christy Huber (7-2), who struck out nine in a 3-0 loss to the Cougars on April 30. But Huber had thrown a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts Monday to defeat No. 10 Glen Burnie, 4-0, and the Falcons have another game Friday against No. 6 Old Mill.

"Glen Burnie, Chesapeake and Old Mill all in one week. There's no way I'm going to throw that ninth-grader all three days," said Falcons coach Wayne Mook.

Spampinato (4-1) opened the first inning by retiring Tracy Starke a pop-up, but Necessary lined a single to left and stole second. Michelle Manner reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error brought home the first run.

Then, it got worse for Severna Park (12-3). The inning included four passed balls, three walks, a wild pitch, a two-run double by Necessary and a two-run single by Manner. Thirteen batters came to the plate before Spampinato struck out her third batter to end the inning.

It was so bad that Lori Congdon struck out swinging, but reached first base when the ball rolled past the catcher. She later scored the sixth run.

Congdon (8-0) went six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) and six hits, and striking out five. Jamie Long pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out one.